Cuomo in Keene today

August 29, 2012

Gov. Andrew Cuomo will be at the site of the new Keene fire station today to make a big announcement.

Jay town Supervisor Randy Douglas and Alan Carey, director of the Keene Fire Board of Commissioners, both confirmed that Cuomo would be at the former Mountain Manor rental cabins at noon.

It couldn't be immediately determined what Cuomo's announcement will be about, but officials in Keene have been trying to secure additional funding for the construction of a new fire station. The old one was destroyed by flooding from Tropical Storm Irene on Aug. 28, 2011.

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Gov. Andrew Cuomo(Enterprise file photo)

Purchasing the Mountain Manor property on state Route 73, demolishing existing structures and building a new station in compliance with emergency structure codes will cost a maximum of $2.3 million. In April, voters approved a $500,000 bond, and more than $100,000 in private donations has been raised so far.

Keene town Supervisor Bill Ferebee said Tuesday that the Federal Emergency Management Agency has "let us down" on the new fire station.

"They had verbally said they were going to give the Keene fire department X amount of money," he said. "About two weeks ago, they pulled half of that back out, saying whoever was approving it along the way shouldn't have."